Record number attend speed awareness course

According to statistics from the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme, over 1.2 million drivers attended speed awareness courses in 2015.

That’s a 170% increase from 2010 when just over 447,700 motorists were caught committing a minor speeding offence opted to attend a course rather than accept penalty points.

Gocompare.com Car Insurance is advising drivers that while the police and most insurers do not consider attending a course to be the same as a driving conviction – some car insurers might. Therefore, drivers who have opted for a course should check their insurance policy to see if they are required to disclose their attendance.

Speed awareness courses aim to teach people to be safer drivers. Developed with the help of psychologists, the National Speed Awareness Scheme aims to reduce the speed at which people drive and cut re-offending by educating them on the potential consequences of excessive or inappropriate speed.

The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points on your licence. An SP30 conviction can add an average of £32.34 to an annual insurance premium for a 30 year old driver and as much as £376.97 for a 20 year old.

Matt Oliver, spokesman for Gocompare.com Car Insurance, commented, ‘Insurers’ positions on speed awareness courses differ, with some considering attendance as information that’s relevant to pricing premiums. Therefore, drivers who’ve attended a course may find that they have to pay more for cover – but the increase is likely to be smaller than if they had points on their licence. These drivers also have the option of shopping around to see if they can get a better deal elsewhere.’

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